“We didn’t work out.” Catriona Gray explains her break up with Clint Bondad

“We didn’t work out.” Catriona Gray explains her break up with Clint Bondad

Miss Universe winner Catriona Gray admits that she already broke up with boyfriend Clint Bondan after more than six years in a relationship

She did not answer the question directly but instead was so grateful for the time they’ve spent together and for the support through her tough times

After Catriona announced their break up, Clint Bondad unfollowed his Miss Universe ex-girlfriend on social media

Success in a relationship is not measured by the time being together – maybe yesterday was full of sweet memories but now things may not work out.

Miss Universe winner Catriona Gray admits that she already broke up with boyfriend Clint Bondad, after more than six years in a relationship, during an interview on “Tonight with Boy Abunda.”

“We didn’t work out,” said Catriona, when she was asked what happened about their break up. It’s just that they outgrew each other.

“When you’re together for so long and you start off from a very young age, you grow. Whether that be in your personal life or in your career –sometimes you just outgrow each other.”

Show host Boy Abunda then asked Catriona if she still loves him. She did not answer the question directly but instead said she was so grateful for the time they’ve spent together and for supporting her through tough times.

She revealed that before she competed for the competition, they already had relationship issues and did not start after her winning the Miss Universe. Even after seeing Bondad passionately cheering for her in Thailand, they were no longer on talking terms during that time.

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“It was really tough going through the competition with that happening at the same time, but I had to keep reminding myself that this is a once in the lifetime opportunity,” Gray said.

“If we’re meant to be together, maybe it’d happen in the future but as of right now…,” she added, shaking her head to indicate no.

The Miss Universe had no intention to quickly enter into another relationship as she said “doesn’t feel ready at all” because she wanted to establish an identity of her own during her reign as Miss Universe.

“I’ve never really had the chance — because being in a 6-year relationship from the age of 18, I’ve never been a young adult, a growing young Christian in that season of singleness. I think it’s really important as an individual because you need to know what you want, who you are.”

After Catriona announced their break up, Clint Bondad unfollowed his Miss Universe ex-girlfriend on social media and wished his ex-girlfriend the “very best” despite their split-up.

“Man, and here I am working so hard on my bad boy image… I stand by all I have ever said about you…You are still the most beautiful woman that I have ever met. I wish you the very best on your path, wherever it will carry you…Truly!”

On Bondad’s Instagram stories post, he stressed that “the feeling is very mutual and comes from a caring side for each other.” And reacted by using hashtag #nodrama to all the sympathy messages he received on social media.

“Gosh guys, just chillax! I am supposed to be on vacation. Don’t make me work till next week!,” he said in jest, reacting to the messages of sympathy he has been getting online.

“Read everything in an uplifting voice! It really is no biggy. We are ahead of you guys in time so we are all cool.”

“I would rather that the efforts be refocused to why those children may be committing those crimes.”

Catriona Gray should be educated about the bill, but still agrees with her that the problem of the delinquent children should be addressed first

Fighting for the rights of children appears to be one of her advocacies

According to Malacañang, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray has been misinformed about the bill which seeks to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to 12.

Last February 20 at the Novotel Hotel in Quezon City, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray held a press conference.

During her interview with GMA News on lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility, she pointed out that the government should focus first on the reasons why these children continue doing crimes; believing that the ages from 9 to 12 years old, children are not yet developed cognitively.

“I would rather that the efforts be refocused on why these children may be committing those crimes. Because working with kids, you know that when they’re that young–when they’re 11, 12, or nine years old–they’re not developed in that way, cognitively, to make decisions knowing full well the consequences,” Gray said in an interview with GMA News.

After Catriona spoke expressing her disagreement with the said bill, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo also made a statement.

A day after the Filipina beauty queen’s press conference, Panelo said Gray should be educated about the bill but still agrees with her that the problem of the delinquent children should be addressed as well.

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“She should be educated. She may have been misinformed of the facts given that the opposition to the lowering comes from yung mga dating kritiko ng administrasyon (old critics of the administration), “Yung sinasabi niya na focus on the problems, kasama yun eh (She’s saying that we should focus on the problems. That’s part of it). When you lower the criminal liability, kasama yun (that’s already part of it),” he said.

Panelo also clarified that what is stated in the law is that children in conflict will not be put in jail together with the adult criminals, but rather rehabilitated before sending them off to society.

“Sa batas nakalagay doon yung rehabilitation. Ang focus nga rehabilitation, eh (Rehabilitation is what is stated in the law. So the focus is rehabilitation). So you are solving precisely the problem why these people are engaged in crimes,” Panelo said.

He really emphasized to Catriona that the government is already focusing on the problem because the children will not be jailed but instead will be rehabilitated to know why they have committed crimes and in time they will be put back in society.

“Miss Universe hindi naman ikukulong. Ire-rehabilitate nga natin. Kaya tama ka doon (Miss Universe, they will not be jailed. We will rehabilitate them. So you are right when you said that), let’s focus on the problem. We are precisely focusing on the problem. Because the problem is they’re engaged in crimes, So what will we do? We will have to rehabilitate them. Learn why they have committed these crimes, and then put them back to society,” he continued.

Despite being misinformed, accordingly to the Palace, they much-admired Catriona for speaking out her opinion on the matter which shows the evidence that she is truly concerned with the children.

“But I’m glad she mentioned it. It only means that she’s also concerned, which every Filipino citizen should have been – with a kind of concern,” Panelo said.

It has been the passion of Miss Universe Catriona Gray to work with children, even before winning the Miss Universe pageant – as fighting for the rights of the children appears to be one of her advocacies.

In an interview with the American show Build Series, she set the record straight as some Australians have been claiming her as their own after she won the Miss Universe 2018 beauty pageant.

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“I am Miss Philippines,” she stated.

“I really feel like I’m a Miss Philippines. I feel like a Filipina, a Filipino woman. It’s just so happens that when I was growing up, I was very much of an Australian. And I think you can be both because I did grow up with those two sides of the world. I thought it was funny that there was this war, like, ‘No, she’s ours, she’s practically Miss Australia.’ But I am a Miss Philippines.”

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Despite the arguments, she added that she actually doesn’t mind Australia’s happiness upon her win.

“I can’t blame them for being excited, from really feeling the high spirits of the season, too. So we’ll let them have that.”

Miss Universe-Peru: Mistaken as “Catriona” by a man asking for a photograph

Miss Universe-Peru: Mistaken as “Catriona” by a man asking for a photograph

Instead of being offended or annoyed, she just laughed it off and continued on posing for the camera.

People have been buzzing around the happenings before the Miss Universe 2018 coronation night that happened in Bangkok, Thailand. There has been controversies, blunders, wardrobe malfunctions, and viral videos.

Among these is the video of Miss Peru Romina Lozano, who got mistaken for being the now-Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray. The beauty queen didn’t take it to heart though. The two have been previously compared as they have similar facial features.

When she was greeting people and taking photos with them, a man asking for a picture called her “Catriona” and she just laughed it off and proceeded to pose with him.

Two months before the coronation night, Gray expressed her stand on the topic of transwomen being a part of Miss Universe.

Miss Spain 2018 expressed her gratitude towards the newly crowned Miss Universe, Catriona Gray and her supporters in the Philippines.

In a tweet dated December 19, Angela Ponce congratulated Gray and complimented her. “She is beautiful she is a very kind girl I’m very happy for you Cat,” Ponce wrote.

She also said that she loves the Philippines and the fans that always supported her.

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She is the first ever transgender woman to compete in the prestigious beauty pageant. As this generated mixed reactions from netizens, Grey has shown her full support and defended the transgenders.

“I’m open to it, because individually, I see beauty queens more than a physical aspect.

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“We represent something — that has to be what we’re there for. And she has a purpose. She is that voice for the transgender community.

“If she can further educate people about what are the needs of the transgender community to get us to be more compassionate towards them… I have close friends who are transgender, so I’ve heard their experiences, and there is a lot of work to be done in how we come towards them.”

Beauty queens expressed their opinions about the inclusion of transgender women at the Miss Universe.

Winwyn Marquez, Maxine Medina, and Gloria Diaz are against the idea, while Catriona Gray showed support.

The topic of transgender women joining beauty pageants has been re-opened after Miss Spain 2018, Angela Ponce, successfully became a part of the Miss Universe 2018.

She was acknowledged as the first ever transgender contestant of the competition by honoring her with her own segment during the coronation night. After the preliminary rounds, the 27-year-old said that it was an honor and pride to be part of the pageant.

“I don’t need to win Miss Universe. I only need to be here,” she said in the video.

“I always say: having a vagina didn’t transform me into a woman. I am a woman, already before birth, because my identity is here.”

While she’s proud of her achievement, Filipino beauty queens have different viewpoints regarding the inclusion of transgender women in beauty pageants.

Beauty queens expressed their opinions.

2017 Reina Hispanoamericana titleholder Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez said that as much as she loved the idea of Spain allowing Ponce to join, she still thinks that the Miss Universe should be given to “natural born women”. She also clarified that she has nothing against transgenders.

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“Kasi there is Miss International Queen, tama ba? It’s a prestigious pageant also… let’s just give it (Miss Universe) for natural born-women and for transgenders to have their own prestigious pageant. Pero kung a-allow naman ng Miss Universe pageant, then we should accept it also.”

Miss Universe-Philippines 2016 Maxine Medina was also not keen on having transgender women in the Miss Universe competition.

In one report by Bombo Radyo, Diaz mentioned that there’s nothing wrong with Ponce’s participation in the pageant, but she hopes for a better venue for transgenders.

As other netizens also shared the same sentiments as Marquez, Medina, and Diaz, the newly-crowned Miss Universe, Catriona Gray, defended Ponce’s right to join the pageant.

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A month prior to the coronation night, Gray has expressed her support to the inclusion of transgender candidates to the line-up of contestants.

“I’m open to it, because individually, I see beauty queens more than a physical aspect,” she answered in one episode of The Bottomline.

“We represent something — that has to be what we’re there for. And she has a purpose. She is that voice for the transgender community.

“If she can further educate people about what are the needs of the transgender community to get us to be more compassionate towards them… I have close friends who are transgender, so I’ve heard their experiences, and there is a lot of work to be done in how we come towards them.”

In her caption, Rodriguez said that the believes that Ryzza Mae has what it takes to follow the footsteps of Gray. This included a a side by side photo of Gray’s 1999 stint and the beauty queen’s recent photo.

“Sabi ko na nga @ryzzamaedizon_ may pag asa ka!”

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Netizens have supported the idea of the Eat Bulaga host and even cheered Ryzza Mae to become a beauty queen.

Comments

Miss World congratulated Catriona Grey with a post on their Facebook page.

Filipinos thanked the organization for not making Gray win the Miss World title two years ago.

Following Catriona Gray‘s win, the official Facebook page of Miss World greeted the former 4th runner-up of the 2016 pageant for her new achievement in winning the Miss Universe2018 crown.

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It mentioned Gray’s previous title in Miss World and why she was selected for the Beauty with a Purpose Project “for a special visit during Miss World 2016”.

They also mentioned their gratitude for her vision and dedication for the pageant.

“We are delighted to see her win the Miss Universe crown! Catriona’s brilliant Smokey Mountain Beauty With A purpose project captured all our hearts and it revealed her dedicated vision to support the most vulnerable in our society. Miss Universe organisation you have a great winner !”

Well done Catriona!Congratulations from all of us at Miss World to Catriona Gray on being elected Miss Universe…

The post was full of positivity but others have called out the organization for an issue that the 2016 competition was manipulated.

In a post by Miss World Brazil 2016, she revealed that “there wasn’t enough food and water, there were candidates who slept with the pageant’s staff and there were no panel of judges for the Beauty with a Purpose challenge event” and even added that the jurors were “suspicious”.

What also fueled the suspicion was the fact that one of the judges, Wilnelia Merced, who is the national director of Miss Puerto Rico. She is also a former Miss World from Puerto Rico and her mother is the national franchise holder of Miss World Puerto Rico.

Check out comments of netizens at Miss World’s congratulatory post.

Thank you miss world for not crowining catriona last 2016.hahahah. She showed your world is just a tiny bit grain of salt in the universe. Hahaha

Miss Universe see her worth as a true queen which, unfortunately, Miss World failed to see.

You robbed her crown two years ago and the Universe made it back to her. Truly deserving.

I’m really hurt when she did not get the crown in 2016, but now, I’ more than thankful for the Org for not letting her win. She is meant for something bigger. Bigger platform so she can inspire more people.